In fall we put up cranberry sauce, when the cranberries start coming in to the stores and are fresh, but also affordable. It only takes a few minutes more time to can it versus just making a large batch, and have it ready for the Holidays, and for spreading on sandwiches all year long. This year I took my trusted recipe I use and converted it to sugar-free, to help me stay on my eating/fitness goals. It’s easy to forget that cranberry sauce is actually very sweet, even though it has a tart taste. It’s jam frankly – and you can eat a LOT of sugar if you like it.
With this recipe, it tastes exactly the same but no sugar to mess with your body….and then you can save your cheats for the pie, amiright?
It makes a little less than my full sugar version, but that is an OK tradeoff (sugar once melted, in jams, keeps it size).
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups granulated sucralose (Splenda or store brand)
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds fresh cranberries (2 2/3 12-ounce bags)
Directions:
Place 6 8-ounce jars in a canning pot, fill jars with water, and cover about halfway up the pot. Bring to a boil covered. Add the lids and rings to a small saucepan, fill with water and bring to a simmer.
In a stainless steel stockpot add the water, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes uncovered.
Rinse the cranberries well, shake off the water. If you see any questionable berries, toss them.
Add in the cranberries, cover the pot and return to a boil, cook for 15 minutes, stirring periodically uncovered. You want the sauce to be bubbling, so about medium-high works best. Lower if you feel it’s boiling too hard.
Drain the jars, place on a clean kitchen towel.
Sterilize a canning funnel and a ladle, stir the sauce again and ladle hot sauce into the jars, leaving a ¼” headspace, use a bubble wand to remove any air bubbles.
Wipe the jar rims with a new paper towel, dampened with hot water.
Place a new canning lid on each jar, screw on bands until finger tip tight.
Place jars into canning rack, lower into the water, place cover on. Bring back to a boil, process for 15 minutes for small jars, starting timing once water boils. The jars should be covered with water.
Remove jars, place on a cooling rack covered with a kitchen towel. Let cool, listening for the pings of the lids. Once cool, check the lids by pressing gently in the middle. If any spring back, put in refrigerator and use within a week.
Made about 6 8-ounce jars
Store in a cool, dry area for up to a year.
Notes:
I have not tried the recipe with other sugar substitutes. I was hesitant to use the monkfruit blends as I didn’t want the snowflake texture it gets when cooking. I also needed to know it would gel properly. Using stevia that isn’t 1:1 would be far more complicated as well, it would make far, far less. But if you try it and it works, let me know!
Odd side note? Cranberries are Keto friendly. Splenda isn’t considered a “Keto sweetener” but meh, while I follow Keto overall, I am not glued to it.
~Sarah